Adjustable lamp shades



1951 w. A. HEITSHU 2,997,576

ADJUSTABLE LAMP SHADES Filed Jan. 14, 1960 INVENTOR Mad-w ym 2,997,576 ADJUSTABLE LAMP SHADES William A. Heitshu, 319 N. Duke St., Lancaster, Pa. Filed Jan. 14, 1960, Ser. No. 2,497 2 Claims. (Cl. 240-108) This invention relates to lamp shades, and more particularly to shades for table or floor lamps. Conventionalshades for table and floor lamps are constructed upon a fixed frame, hence are not adjustable. Most frequently, such shades are open-ended and frusto-conical or frusto-pyramidal, with the smaller end uppermost. The shade is thus adapted to project a widening beam of light downwardly and a narrower beam upward- -ly. In some instances the upper end of the shade is closed so that there is no upward beam. Such lamp shades may be constructed of opaque, semi-opaque, or translucent material, thus altering the proportion of reflected light to transmitted light.

In some instances, known as indirect lighting, a lamp shade may take the form of a bowl used to reflect substantially all or a large portion of light upwardly against a ceiling or similar surface.

The general object of the present invention is the provision of a lamp shade so constructed that it may easily be adjusted to constrict or enlarge the lower periphery of the shade so as to increase or decrease the area lighted by the downwardly directed beam, an opposite adjustment occurring simultaneously at the upper end of the shade. A lamp equipped with the shade of the present invention may thus be converted substantially from a direct lighting to an indirect lighting fixture and vice versa or, while serving as a direct lighting fixture, the lighted area may reduced or enlarged within relatively wide limits.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide an adjustable lamp shade comprising a generally vertical tubular member, which is made radially extensible by pleating or the like, and which is supported on a plurality of generally vertical stays which are in turn articulated to a central support member in angularly spaced relation so that the several stays may be simultaneously tilted in radial planes to widen the lower end of the shade and constrict the upper end thereof, or vice versa. The constricting means may consist of flexible filaments, such as cords, encircling the tubular element adjacent one or both ends thereof. The radial members connecting the generally vertical stays to the central support member may be rigidly secured to the latter and pivotally connected to the several stays, or may be rigidly secured to the stays and pivotally connected to the central support.

Other and further objects, features and advantages will be apparent from the description which follows, read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which States Patent FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a table lamp provided with an adjustable shade according to the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the device illustrated in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional view on line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary horizontal section on line 4-4 of FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary vertical section similar to FIGURE 3 but illustrating a modification of the invention.

In order to facilitate an understanding of the invention, reference is made to the embodiments thereof shown in the accompanying drawings and detailed descriptive language is employed. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the invention is thereby intended and that various changes and alterations are contemplated such as would ordinarily occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

Referring to the embodiment illustrated in FIGURES 1-4, a lamp shade 10 constructed according to the invention is seen as employed in connection with a table lamp 11, the latter comprising a base 12 from which projects a pillar 13. A conventional lamp socket 14 (FIGURE 3) is atfixed in the usual way to the upper end of pillar 13 and in turn supports, by means of a suitable clamp ring or other fixture 15-, the usual bow 16, bracket 17 and pintle 18 for supporting a lamp shade. The central support 19 of the present shade, as of most conventional shades, comprises an annular member the central aperture of which receives the pintle 18 and which is secured against the bracket 17 by means of threaded engagement between the pintle 18 and an internall threaded knob 20. t

The framework of the present lamp shade comprises, in

addition to the central support member 19, a plurality of radial struts 21 which, in the embodiment illustrated in FIGURES l-4, are rigidly secured at their inner ends to the central support member 19, as by welding, soldering, riveting, etc. To the outer end of each radial strut 21 there is pivotally secured a generally vertical stay 22, the pivotal connection being seen at 23 (FIGURE 3) and in greater detail in FIGURE 4. A tubular cover member 24 is secured by any suitable means, for example stitching 25, to the several stays 22.

The cover member 24 may be of any suitable material such as parchment, fiber, plastic, heavy paper, etc., and may have the degree of opacity desired or required for the particular use intended. Also, it may be decorated or plain, as desired. In accordance with the present invention, the tubular cover 24 must be radially extensible and collapsible, so that either end may be collapsed or contracted while the opposite end is expanded, by tilting of the respective stays 22. In the illustrated embodiment, this eifect is accomplished by means of vertically accordion-pleating the cover member 24, and the stays 22 are secured to the member 24 at or near the outer apices 26 of spaced pleats.

Each side of each pleat of the tubular cover 24 is apertured, near the upper end of the cover, to provide a horizontal series of apertures to receive a constrictor member or cord 27, and a similar series of apertures is provided near the lower end of the member 24 to receive a second constrictor member 28 (FIGURE 1). The two ends of each constrictor member may be secured together, in any adjustment thereof, by knotting as at 29 (FIGURE 2).

As best seen in FIGURE 3, if the upper constrictor member 27 is tightened, the lower constrictor 28 being untied to allow it to extend, the stays 22 will be tilted inwardly at their upper ends and outwardly at their lower ends, the corresponding portions of the cover 24 tilting inwardly at the top and outwardly at the bottom as illustrated in broken lines. After the desired attitude of the lamp shade is achieved, the ends of the respective constrictor members may again be knotted. If the lower constrictor 28 is tightened and the upper constrictor 27 is loosened, an opposite tilting of the stays will take place, producing the condition also illustrated in broken lines in FIGURE 3. These respective tilted positions of the shade are also indicated by broken lines in FIGURE 1.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 5 the radial struts 21' are rigidly secured to the stays 22 and pivotally secured to the central support 19' by means of loops 30 which are linked in apertures 31 of the support member. In this embodiment of the invention the tubular cover 24 is, of course, bodily raised or lowered as it is tilted by manipulation of the constrictor members.

3 Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. Adjustable lamp shade comprising a generally vertical, radially extensible tubular member, a plurality of generally vertical stays secured to the inner surface of said tubular member, a stationary central support member means for securing said support member to a lamp base, means pivotally connecting said stays intermediate her, means for securing said support member to a lamp base, means pivotally connecting said stays intermediate their ends, to said support member in angularly spaced relation for tilting movements of said stays in radial planes, and means for tilting said stays about their said pivotal connections to selectively contract one end of said tubular member and expand the opposite end thereof, said last means comprising constrictor members of variable circumferential lengths encircling said tubular member adjacent the respective ends thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 32,740 Arnold i July 9, 1861 480,989 Berthelemy Aug. 16, 1892 1,929,315 Johnson et al. Oct. 3, 1933 2,710,339 Targosh i June 7, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 466,463 Canada July 11, 1950 

